Improved bed-bottom



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@auch gisten gatrat @time Letters Patent No. 73,799, dated January 28,1868.

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'lO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, F. C. GRIDLEY, ot` Hudson, in the county of St.Croix, and State of Wisconsin, have. invented a new and improvedSpring-Bed Bottom; and I do hereby declare that' the following is afnll,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specilication1 in Which-nFigure 1 is a top View oi' the improved bed-bottom applied to abedstead.

Figure 2 is a-longitudinal section through g. 1, taken in the verticalplane indicated by line fc.

Figure 3 is an end view of thespringbottorn detached from the bedstead.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the threefigures.

This invention relates to an improvement on that class of spring-bedbottoms which have their slats suspended from rails by means ofelastic-rubber loops or bands, which allow the slats to have a freeelastic motion independently of their own 'elasticity or tlexibility.

The nature of my invention and improvement consists in attaching theslats, at their ends, to short transverse bars, by means of pinsprojecting from the upper edges of said bars, so that any one or more ofthe slats can be removed at pleasure, and reversed or turned end forend, should they after long use sag in the centre; and in suspendingsaid transverse Slat-supports from removable transverse head and footbars, by means of elastic bands, applied at the extremities of eachaloft-support, as will be hereinafter described. And in combination withthe foregoing arrangement, the invention further consists in theemployment, at intermediate pointsbetvreen the end-straps, by which theslat-supportsu-re suspended, of elastic and adjustable straps forlevelling or adjusting and keeping the bed in a horizontal position, andcompensating for any sagging which -might take place, as will behereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation The drawings represent myinvention applied to a common formot` bedstead, consisting of head andfoot portions A B, united together in any suitablemanner by means oflongitudinal rails C C. I make this explanation so as to be understoodthat my invention is applicable to any of the well-'known forms ofbedsteads. The only change-required `to be made is the addition to theposts ofthe bedstead, inside thereof, of blocks-a: a, which serve assupports and lateralabutments for the bed-bottom. At the ends of' thebedstead, and supported in horizontal positions, are tivo transversebars, Z1 6, which are made strong enough te sustain theload-ivhieh itisrequired of them te bear; The upper edges of .bars b b are rounded, andtheir lower edges may be flat, as shown in tig. 2.v The longitudinalslats D are made so that theyvvill have an elastic flexibility, andholes are 'made through their ends by which they ure attached to pins ac', rising perpendienlarly from the upper edges of bars G Gr Gr G. Theends of the slats being thus attached to the bars G, it 1.vill be seenthat the slats can be removed and turned over should they sag after longuse. 'lhere are tivo bars, G, at the head, and two at the foot ot' theeed-bottom, and they are of such length as to move freely between theendpieces a ct, which support the xedlbars Z1 t. lhese bars Gr are allof an equal length, and their inner ends nearly abut at the middle ofthe length of the bars b, thereby forming, in conjunction with th'eslats which are supportedv upon them, as stated, a sectionalA bed-bottomconsisting of two longitudinal, independent sections, as `shown clearlyin iig. Each one of said sections is suspended independently ot' theother by means of elastic loops d d, which are slipped under the ends ofthe short bars G, and over the transverse bars b as shown in fig. 3,These elastic straps will allow each one of the short bars Gr to riseand descend Without necessarily moving any other one of these bars. Inpractice libshall make the straps CZ at the head of the bed muchstronger than those at thei'oot of the bed, so that the bed will besustained, when one ormore persons are' lying upon it, in or nearly in ahorizontal position with respect to its length.

In iig. 3 it will beiseen that I haveapplied to one of the sections ofthe bed-bottom tivo intermediate loops or straps, g y; these are made ofrubber, and provided with bnchle-i`astenings, so that theloops can beshortened or lengthened at pleasure, Une, tivo, or more of theseauxiliary straps g may be applied to-the ends of' the sections composingthe bed-bottom, asv circumstances require.

'.lhel straps g not only afford auxiliary supports for the sections,but, being adjugfgiie, they serve as a ready means for adjusting andlevelling the slatted ined fh a horizontal planel Whether there be aweight upon it or not.

bottom, so that it will be sin mea 2 l `In the use ofvbed-bottoms havingtheir slats suspended by elastic loops, as hitherto arranged, greatinconenience is experienced when there is more Weight upon one side ofthe bed than upon lthe other, by the bed inclinilng to vthat side whichpreponderates. By my invention I provide in one bed-bottom twoindependentlysuspended sections, eaeblone of which is composed of i1number of slats, and each one occupies one-half the A width of the bedand while this is the case, I also provide` for sustaining each sectionby stronger or weaker loops, as may be required. i Y i I do Ino t connemy invention to any definite number of slats and elasticsuspending-loops for'thc sections, as these will vary, according to thewidth of the bed-bottom and theload which the sections are required tosus-l tain. When there is no weight upon the slotted bottom, the elasticsuspending-loops will hold the slats rmly in-contact with the bottom ofthe long rods 6 b, so that the slats Willl not become displaced inmaking up a bed, or in removing the bedbottom from a bedstead. I mean bythe use of the-term sectional bed-bottom, one which is composed of twolongitudinal sections, eachione of which is composed of a lnumber ofslats,iattached to separate supporting-rods, arranged beneath', andsuspended from stationary rods, which are supported at their ends by thebedstead, as set forth. v

Having described my invention, what I ciaim as new, and desire tosecureby Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the bars b and G, elastic straps gg, and slats D D,in the construction of a bed-bottom, when such bottom is 'made insections, and adjustable in the manner shown anddescribed. y s

F. C. GRIDLEY.

Witnesses:

R. C. KENDALL, ff. W. WHITE.

